Report: Colts owner Jim Irsay found unresponsive in home last month

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was found unresponsive and having difficulty breathing at his home last month before he was hospitalized, according to a published report.

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Irsay, 64, was discovered by paramedics to be “cold to the touch” and “gasping for air” on Dec. 8 at his home in Carmel, Indiana, TMZ reported, citing Carmel police documents.

The documents stated that Irsay was found on the bathroom floor at about 4:30 a.m. EST with “a blue skin tone,” according to TMZ. He responded after receiving a dose of Narcan, a drug commonly used to revive people after an opiate overdose, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The incident was classified as a suspected overdose in the documents, according to the newspaper.

The Colts revealed last week that Irsay, who has been the team’s owner since 1997, was dealing with a “severe respiratory illness,” ESPN reported. The team declined to offer any specifics but did issue a statement.

“Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness,” the statement said. We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family’s privacy be respected.”

Irsay has not been seen publicly over the past few weeks, but ESPN confirmed that he attended the Colts’ 30-13 victory at home on Dec. 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Irsay posted video to his social media account after the game, the Star reported.

The Star contacted team officials twice during the final month of the 2023 season about Irsay’s health, but they declined to comment, citing the privacy of his personal life.

In November, Irsay criticized the Carmel Police Department for his arrest in 2014, WTHR-TV reported. He was stopped for allegedly driving erratically, and police said they discovered prescription drugs and more than $29,000 in cash, according to the television station.

A toxicology report later revealed that Irsay had several drugs in his system, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, WTHR reported.

“I am prejudiced against because I’m a rich, white billionaire,” Irsay said in an interview that aired on HBO Sports, according to WTHR. “If I’m just the average guy down the block, they’re not pulling me in, of course not.”

The Irsay family’s Kicking the Stigma campaign was launched in 2020 after Irsay’s public outspokenness about addiction and mental health, according to ESPN. The organization has awarded more than $25 million in grants to mental health groups.

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